Building a Better Mouse Trap with TrapMe’s Kim Hansen

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In this episode of First Things First, I sit down with Kim Hansen from TrapMe, a Danish company developing and distributing IoT solutions for the pest control industry. Kim shares the story of how TrapMe came to be and discusses the technology behind this game-changing smart tool for rodent control.

The Story:
An Electronics Company Sets Out to Build a Better Mouse Trap

Kim brings us a story of an electronics company that wanted to build a better mouse trap – literally. He describes the process of discovering what pest controllers need, finding the right technology partners, and testing the product itself.

The Lesson:
Find Out What Your Customer Needs

What can you learn from a story about a mouse trap? A lot actually!

Talk to your customers. Doing research and speaking directly to your target customer can reveal a lot of important information about their needs.

Develop principles early on. It’s important to have some basic principles in your mind about what you want from the product before you start development. Stick to those principles, and make sure your application delivers.

Keep it simple. The technology may be complex, but the application doesn’t have to be. Make sure your products are easy for the end-user to operate and get value from.

About Our Guest: Kim Lauridsen Hansen

Kim Lauridsen Hansen is the Manager of the TrapMe Branch, a division of CB Svendsen A/S. Previously the Danish CEO for one of Europe’s largest pest control industry suppliers, Kim brings years of experience in the pest control industry. Kim is an integral part of growing the dealer network to distribute TrapMe’s connected rodent trap.

34:37 – Chris and Kim talk about the key takeaways from TrapMe’s experience.

38:30 – Find out where you can reach Kim and learn more about TrapMe and CB Svendsen.

39:50 – Kim shares one last thought about the importance of being open in IoT development and ensuring that your customers can get the most out of your product.

Quotables

“The most dramatic part came because we realized that a lot of the pest controllers didn’t even have a smartphone. A lot of them never used a computer… that challenged us a lot. During the process we realized that I think 99.5% of those we visited didn’t even know the word IoT… So we decided that our product is a smart tool.”

“CB Svendsen had a history working with Telit, and for us, it was very easy to use Telit because we knew it worked. But also, the fact that we brought in a technology that was roaming. Even in Denmark, where it’s a very small country, we have different networks and we have areas in Denmark where only one network is working. And so having this roaming technology just in Demark is splendid.”

“Of course, it’s the IoT technology, but what you are gathering with the IoT technology – all the data. That is really exciting because just imagine what kind of reports our customer is now capable of doing.”

“I think it’s very important that you have something you go after – a goal. And then, of course, you should not be afraid to adjust it because you learned something new.”

“It’s important to find the right partner. When you develop in Denmark, it’s nice to develop something which works in Demark. But it would be nice when you start to develop something which works everywhere.”

“Long ball won’t succeed with IoT. This is a team sport. And I think that’s actually very crucial because the idea about IoT is a lot of things connecting together, not one thing. And that’s the same in development. You need to be open.”

Additional Resources

About Our Sponsor

First Things First is sponsored by Telit, a global provider of wireless connectivity modules, platforms, IoT operator services and professional services. Telit supports thousands of direct and indirect customers by enabling hundreds of millions of connected ‘things.’ With almost two decades of IoT innovation experience, Telit delivers secure, integrated end-to-end IoT solutions for many of the world’s largest brands, including enterprises, OEMs, system integrators, and service providers across industries.